BLADE demonstrator makes debut flight

Airbus’s A340 laminar-flow BLADE test demonstrator aircraft (A340-300 MSN001) has made its successful maiden flight for the EU-sponsored Clean Sky BLADE project. The aircraft, dubbed ‘Flight Lab’, took off from the Tarbes aerodrome in southern France at 11:00am local time and, after a series of successful tests, landed at Airbus’ facilities at Toulouse Blagnac Airport. The overall flight time was 3 hours 38 mins.